Safety cap for containers



June 27, 1961 G. RHODES 2,990,075

SAFETY CAP FOR CONTAINERS Filed May 27. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR. 615527 L. 2 /0055 June 27, 1961 G. L. RHODES SAFETY CAP FORCONTAINERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 27. 1955 INVENTOR. G/L BIL-Z7 L.1640055 2,990,075 SAFETY CAI FOR CONTAINERS Gilbert L. Rhodes, 8988Haley Drive, Castro Valley, Calif.

Filed May 27, 1955, Ser. No. 511,711 2 Claims. (Cl. 215-9) Thisinvention relates to safety means for preventing a child, or aged infirmor blind person, from gaining access to the contents of a container; orany unauthorized person, who is unacquainted with the procedurenecessary to remove the container cap.

While this improvement can obviously be applied in many instances tosafeguard the contents of a container of any kind, in practice it isexpected to have its greatest utility when applied to a bottle cap for amedicine bottle containing a substance dangerous for a child, or apoisonous substance which should not be accessible to a child or anirresponsible person. Much publicity is given to reports of accidents tochildren who swallow medicine, pesticides or other toxic substances usedin a household.

In other words, an object of this invention is to provide a containercap or bottle cap with features of construction which Will operate sothat an unusual procedure must be followed in order to effect theremoval of the closure of the bottle.

Another object of the invention is to construct such a cap in such a waythat it will conceal the working parts of the cap. Then there is no hintor suggestion that will be evident as to the procedure that must befollowed in order to remove the cap; also to provide a device that willrequire strength greater than a child could use to effect the removal ofthe cap.

Such a device operates as a warning also, for example, if in the dark aperson should grasp a bottle having this cap, because such a person willimmediately become apprised of the dangerous nature of the contents ofthe bottle. This will be indicated by the cap being freely rotatable ineither direction without effecting the opening of the bottle.

Further objects of the invention will be evident from a careful readingof this specification, and a study of the accompanying drawing.

The invention consists in the novel parts and combination of parts to bedescribed hereinafter, all of which contribute to produce an efficientsafety cap for containers.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the followingspecification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation and partial section of the upper portion ofa bottle or container illustrating an embodiment of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal cross-section taken in the plane of the line2-2 of FIGURE 1. This view is upon a larger scale than FIGURE 1 andfurther illustrates the details of the connection I may employ forattaching the outer cap to the inner cap that functions as the closurefor the bottle neck. This figure also illustrates the means formaintaining the outer cap of this device in a constrained position, thatis, in a position in which it can be rotated freely, but will notunscrew the inner cap.

FIGURE 3 is a plan of the means illustrated in FIG- URE 1 for normallyholding the outer cap in the position in which it cannot move the innercap to open it.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-section in a vertical plane through theupper ends of the inner and outer caps, and illustrating anotherembodiment of resilient M atent Q Ice 2 means that I may employ forholding the outer cap in its free-rotating position.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary section through the sidewalls of the inner,and the outer cap and showing the outer cap as though pressed downforcibly onto the inner cap to effect a frictional connection fromtheouter cap to the inner cap to enable it to rotate the inner cap.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section through the side walls ofthe two caps and illustrating related means on their walls in engagementfor effecting a posi tive driving connection between them.

FIGURE 6a is a fragmentary vertical section illustrating this positiveconnection means in the unengaged relation.

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but illustrating an embodiment ofthe invention in which I dispense with the means shown in FIGURES l and4 for maintaining the outer cap in its raised inactive position, butconstruct the means in the form of an elastic ring that permits limitedrelative longitudinal shifting movement of the outer cap so that itenables downward pressure on the outer cap, to establish a frictionalconnection from the outer cap to the inner cap.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary vertical section illustrating anotherembodiment in which I employ a resilient ring that yieldingly holds theouter cap in its normal elevated position but also permits the outer capto be forced down to effect the frictional driving connection from theouter cap to the inner cap. In this case the ring has a cross-sectionresembling the letter V.

FIGURE 9 is a view illustrating a cross-section for the ring that may besubstituted for the V-type of ring shown in FIGURE 8. In this case thecross-section of the ring has characteristics of the letter N.

FIGURE 10 is a horizontal section taken through the lower ends of thetwo caps at two grooves such as illustrated in FIGURE 7 and at which thetwo caps are shift-- ably interlocked together. This view illustratesthe use: of an interlocking ring of wavy form.

FIGURE ll is a fragmentary view, and is a section on the line 11--11 ofFIGURE 10, further illustrating the form of the locking ring illustratedin FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 12 is a view similar to FIGURE 11 illustrat ing another type ofinterlocking element that may be em-= ployed for attaching the outer capto the inner, so that it can function to permit effecting a workingconnection between the outer cap and the inner cap.

FIGURE 13 is a horizontal cross-section on the line 13-13 of FIGURE 12.

Referring more particularly to the parts, and especially to FIGURE 1, inaccordance with my invention the container, such as the container 1,illustrated here, should be provided with a neck 2 which is alsopreferably provided with a screw thread 3 to enable a closure or capwith a corresponding thread to be screwed onto it.

In this present instance the complete cap includes an inner cap 4 havinga cylindrical socket provided with thread 5 to match the thread 3, andto enable the cap- 4 to be screwed onto the neck, thereby enabling it tofunction as a closure. In the present instance the transverse face 6 ofthe socket seats upon the upper end of the neck 2. At this point, ifdesired, a gasket, 6a, illustrated, may be employed to insure awater-tight or gastight connection.

The complete cap includes also an outer cap 7 having a bore 8 thatextends into the same from below; and this bore is of slightly largerdiameter than the outer diameter of the inner cap 4. That is to say, thediameter measured over the perimeter surfaces 9 and 10 (see FIGURE 1) issmall enough to enable the cap 7 to be telescoped by adownward movementover the inner cap. The faces 9 and 10 are slightly tapered.

Co-ordinated means are provided between the annular apron of the outercap and thev peripheryof the corresponding portion of the inner cap,functioning in such a way as to permit free rotation of the outercnpmember 7 with respect to the inner cap 4. This is preferablyaccomplished by providing an annular groove 12 extending around theperiphery of the inner cap 4.

The head 18 of the inner cap has an integral apron or skirt 18a, and thehead 19 of the outer cap has a similar skirt or apron 19a.

In order to provide a connection between the two caps normallytelescoped, and one that will permit free rotation of the outer cap onthe inner cap, without effecting a frictional connection enabling theouter cap to unscrew the inner cap, I provide near the lower edges ofthe two caps, two grooves 11 and 12 respectively, as shown in FIGURES land 5. In these grooves a resilient ring 13 is placed.

To facilitate assembling this ring into the grooves, 11 and 12, it issplit as at 14 so that when assembling it into its position in thegrooves it can he slid down over the tapered face of the inner cap andexpanded slightly as it is worked downwardly by hand until it reachesthe groove 12. In this operation the endportions 15 and 16 at the gapwill be spread apart slightly. After Which it will resume its normaldiameter; after seating the ring 13 in the groove 12 then the outer capwill be telescoped down over the inner cap, and its lower end slippeddown over the ring until its lower end face 16 lies substantially in theplane of the lower end face 17 of the outer cap.

But before telescoping the caps in this manner, I place resilient meansbetween the transverse head 18 of the inner cap and the transverse discor head 19 of the. outer cap 1. This resilient means is illustrated inFIGURE 1, and preferably consists of a concave-convex disc 20 (seeFIGURE 3) which is preferably provided with radial slots 21 to permit itto flex more readily from pressure. Its outer edge 22 lies near the faceof the bore 8 when the caps are in their normal relation, as shown inFIG- URE 1. Before slipping the cap 1 into position as just described,this resilient disc 20 is laid on the upper face of the inner cap 4.

In the normal position of the two caps the disc 20 may hold the uppercap in a position in which the two grooves 12 and 13 are atsubstantially the same level'at their upper faces as shown in FIGURE 1.

In order to unscrew the inner cap 6 it is merely necessary to press theouter cap 7 downwardly with sufiicient force to compress and flatten thedisc 20 sufiiciently to enable the conical bore 9 to engage theperiphery 10 of the cone portion of the inner cap. This effects africtional driving connection between the two caps so that when theouter cap is rotated in the proper direction the inner cap can beunscrewed on the thread of the neck.

The split ring is preferably elliptical as indicated in FIGURE 2, sothat when in place it lies partly in the groove 12 and partly in thegroove '13 and it operates to prevent the two caps from beingdisconnected from each other; but by reason of the fact that thediameter of the wire of which the ring is composed is less than thevertical width of the grooves (which should have the same width) thering will permit enough downward movement of the outer cap 4 to givesufficient frictional contact.

Instead of employing a disc-form member to provide resistance to beovercome when pressing the outer cap 4 downwardly, if desired, I mayemploy a short helical spring 23 located on the axis of the two caps. Inthis case it is desirable to form one or more sockets 24 in the adjacentfaces of the caps to hold the spring in its axial position in the caps.I

If desired, the invention can be practiced by providing means foreffecting a positive interlocking connection between the two caps. Such.means is illustrated in FIG- URES 6 and 6a. This may be effected byproviding a cylindrical bore 25 for the outer cap 26, in which case theouter surface 27 of the inner cap 28 is cylindrical. Adjacent the headsof the two caps conical surfaces 29 and 30 are provided. The ones shownhere have the same taper. In the conical surface 29 a V-shaped groove isprovided and on the surface 30 a V-shaped tooth 32 is provided that canfit into the groove 29. With this construction it is obvious that whenthe cap 26 is forced downward and rotated, when the groove 29 arrives atthe tooth 32 the tooth wil drop into it. Of course, either surface canhave the groove.

It is preferable to have only one groove and only one tooth. This willgive a possibility of a continuous rotation through almost 360 degreeswithout the person rotating the outer cap sufficiently to effect theconnection.

In other words, with this single contact means for effecting a positiveconnection it will probably require considerable rotation of the outercap to effect the closing of this connection, and if the rotation is notin the right direction, it will not be a step towards the unscrewing ofthe inner cap. So, if the threads on the neck of the bottle areleft-handed threads the rotation of the outer cap in the anticlockwisedirection would merely tighten the inner cap on the neck. Right handthread is so common, a person attempting to open the bottle wouldnaturally assume that an anti-clockwise rotation would be the one to usein order to open the bottle.

Referring now to FIGURE 7; in this embodiment o the invention the innercap is provided with a half-round groove 33 which extends partly aroundits outer surface and the groove receives a tight ring 34 of elasticmate rial such as rubber, neoprene or the like. The outer cap is formedwith an annular groove 35 in its inner surface, the vertical width ofwhich is slightly greater than the diameter of the elastic ring 34. Withthis construction the ring 33 will lock the two caps together but willnot prevent a relative downward movement of the outer cap sufficient toestablish a satisfactory frictional alignment or contact between the twoconical surfaces 36 and 37 of the outer cap and the inner cap. Theelastic ring 34 will be put into place in its groove by shifting itdownward over the small end of the surface of the inner cap.

In FIGURES 8 to 13 I illustrate means for efiecting a connection betweenthe inner and outer caps which avoids the necessity for using resilientmeans between the caps for holding the outercap normally elevated. Itinterlocks the two caps so that they can be held together, but isconstructed in such a way that the interlocking means will hold theouter cap normally raised, but permits sufficient relative movement ofthe caps longitudinally to effect any kind of a driving connectionbetween the two caps, that is, a frictional drive as shown in FIGURES 1to 7, or a positive drive of any kind, for example, such as shown inFIGURE 6.

In FIGURE 8 I illustrate an interlocking ring 38 to perform the doublefunction referred to, which has a V-form cross-section. In this case themeeting point of the two cylindrical surfaces 39 and 40 should be on asmall enough radius to insure that the vertex 41 of the V cross-sectionwill lie on the bottom face of the outer groove 42, as shown in FIGURE8. And when it is in that position the inner fork 43 of the resilientring 38 should be located in the upper angle of the groove that isformed in the inner cap. That disposition of the ring will insure thatthe outer cap cannot be pulled up off of the inner cap.

In FIGURES 10 to 13 inclusive I illustrate forms of resilient connectorsfor use in the grooves, that not only lock the caps together but providea yielding resistance to hold the outer cap so that it can be forceddown onto the inner one.

In FIGURE 9 is illustrated another form of crosssection for the ring,which resembles the letter S lying on its side, or the letter N with theinclined bar of the N inclined oppositely to its usual inclination.

Of these two forms just described the letter S form is more advantageouson account of the presence of curves instead of sharp angles.

In FIGURES l0 and 11 I illustrate a ring 44 of wavy form with outerloops 45 connected in a set or series between an inwardly extending setof loops 46. As shown in FIGURE 11 the wire (resilient) which forms thisring has the inside loops 46 resting on the bottom face 47 of the innergroove 48 that is formed in the outer face of the inner cap 49. At eachend of the loop 46 the wire connects to an outside loop 45 and this looplies on the bottom face 50 of the outer groove 51 in the outer cap 52,and at each end of the outer loop the wire is carried up by a more orless vertical extension 53 to connect with another inner loop 46 that isat a higher level, resting against the upper face of the outer groovethat is in the inside face of the cap 52. At this point the ends of thisloop 45 connect to two inside loops 46 at this higher level which isresting against the upper face of the groove 48. In other words, lowerloops 45 alternate with higher loops 45; and the inner loops 46 that arelocated at a lower level alternate with loops 46 that are at a higherlevel.

In this way, the connections between the loops 45 and the loops 46 crossthe circumferential dividing line at 47a between the two caps. Thiscrossing occurs alternately at a higher level and at a lower level.

By pressing down on the upper end of the outer cap 52 the wire of thering 44 will be distorted sufficiently to enable the conical faces ofthe two caps at 54 to come into frictional contact with each other; orto approach near enough to effect an interlocking of a V-shaped tooth 32to engage a groove such as 29. The resiliency of the outwardly off-setportions of the ring 44 that overhang into the outer groove will permitthis necessary relative movement of the cap.

In order to facilitate placing this ring 44 into position between thetWo caps, the ring is split, that is to say, it is formed with a gap asindicated at the point 55 in FIGURE 10.

If desired, instead of using a ring member as described heretofore, Imay provide a half round pocket 56 having a vertical axis, locatedsubstantially at the outer face 57 of the inner cap. This pocketoperates as a socket for a short helical spring 58, the outer half ofwhich projects into a continuous groove 59 that passes all around theinner circumference of the outer cap 60.

As a considerable portion of the outer half of the coil 58 lies underthe upper face 61 of the groove 59 it will be evident that by pressingdown on the outer cap 60 the spring will become slightly compressed,sufficiently at least, to enable the two conical faces of the caps at 57to effect a substantial frictional contact with each other to enable theouter cap to rotate the inner cap.

If desired, there may be more than one of these springs 58, in theirrespective sockets. A slight advantage would result from using two orthree springs because they would help to center the outer cap on theinner cap if it should happen that the contact faces at 62 have becomeworn.

When the outer cap is being rotated, the springs 58 can rotate on theiroutward axes in their pockets, like rollers, which will reduceresistance to the rotation.

Many other embodiments of this invention may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a safety container cap to prevent an unauthorized person fromremoving the cap from a container or the like, the combination of askirted inner cap having a threaded socket to engage a threaded neck onthe container, a skirted outer cap telescoped over the inner cap androtatably freely on the same, coordinated means on said caps to limitlongitudinal movements of the outer cap relative to the inner cap, andfor yieldingly holding the outer cap in a normal position from which itcan shift with relation to the inner cap, said means comprising at leastone pair of juxtaposed sockets in the adjacent surfaces of the skirts ofthe inner and outer caps, and a coil spring axially arranged in eachpair of sockets, coordinated juxtaposed inclined contacting surfaces onthe inner cap and the outer cap respectively, capable of beingforcefully pressed together by an adult only when applying suficientforce to the outer cap to shift it downwardly on the inner cap, saidcontacting inclined faces then functioning to interlock frictionally theouter cap to the inner cap through and by means solely of the saidfrictional resistance and thereby enabling a torque force not possibleto be applied through the outer cap by an infant to the inner cap toeffect a rotation of the inner cap on said threaded neck and theconsequent removal of the inner cap from the said neck.

2. A safety container cap according to claim 1, in which the coordinatedjuxtaposed means on the caps includes two substantially conical zones,one of which is convex and the other of which is concave, and capable ofengaging each other frictionally when the zone on the outer cap is movedagainst the coordinated zone on the inner cap to enable the outer cap tounscrew the inner cap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,771,012 Schwartz July 22, 1930 2,009,216 Anibal July 23, 19352,061,214 Sentman Nov. 17, 1936 2,116,966 Barlow May 10, 1938 2,179,147Genei Nov. 7, 1939 2,359,639 Hanahan Oct. 3, 1944

